Friday 31 October 2008
Nanopartical technology used to trace copper owners
MAITLAND police have used tracing technology to identify the owners of stolen copper cables.
According to Sydney-based
DataDot, its spray-on
nanoparticle DNA was traced with a digital reader to find the owners of the stolen metal. This was the first time such technology was used in NSW.
The copper had been stolen from an electrical substation in Maitland, and was worth several thousand dollars. The police apprehended the thief and recovered the copper.
The DataDot product enabled police to identify the owners of the cable. The technology was created through a joint venture involving both the company and the CSIRO.
It involves small nanoscale traces branded with the company’s details. These are sprayed onto the metal.
It is hoped the widespread use of the technology will deter thieves who target construction sites, electrical substations, power distribution systems, rail lines and communications networks for copper.
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